The Salamander Factor - Part 4

They laughed together. They teased each other. They hugged each other. They were one, in unison, breathing the same energy and spreading happiness and positivity.

Randeep, Smruti and Samrat had come together after two years. They started from where they had left. The energy was still the same. The laughter, the jokes, the connection of minds and thoughts, nothing was changed. Samrat’s return had brought back the lost era of life-lasting memories.

It was 1.00 am in the morning. The night sky was looking pleasant. There was a restaurant at Bandra which was still open due to the occasion of Diwali. Randeep, Smruti and Samrat went inside and ordered a cake to celebrate Samrat’s return.

“I cannot still believe that you are back, Sally.” Smruti said as she kept looking at Samrat.

“Did you all think I would never come? I cannot leave you all so easily.” Samrat spoke as he sipped some water.

“On a serious note, where were you? You have no idea about the chaos which you have created here in these two years. Where have you been, Sally?” Randeep asked Samrat.

“Well, why do we even care about it? Does it really matter? What matters is that we are here together at this moment.” Samrat had a pleasant smile while talking. He removed his jacket and kept on the table.

“It definitely matters. We need to know where you were.” Smruti said with a bit stern look on her face.

Samrat kept quiet. The waiter brought the cake and kept on their table. He also brought three Italian pasta dishes.

“This one is for Samrat.” Smruti kept the dish with the creamy pasta in front of Samrat. She knew that Samrat had always liked the creamy pasta. Samrat looked at her and smiled. She smiled back.

Randeep noticed this exchange of smiles. He kept quiet. He got a feeling that Samrat was talking very less with him.

“Well, I was on a world tour, exploring the world and myself too. I am sure that you know that I want to travel the globe. I was doing that only. Moreover, I wanted to be with myself. I wanted to have my own space. I wanted to discover myself in a way that I feel confident enough to live the life further. Before leaving, I was all alone. You had left by then.” Samrat spoke while looking at Smruti. “And you got busy in your clinic. Who was I supposed to talk with?”

Smruti and Randeep looked at each other and then looked at Samrat.

“I am not blaming you guys. Such things are bound to happen. That’s why I don’t like being friends with people that easily. People eventually part ways. I don’t like it. If you cannot be with me for lifetime then what is the use of such a friendship?”

Samrat was speaking softly but pleasantly.

“I relish all the moments which we have spent together. Smruti, I was in Kenya for a week. There are myriad places in Kenya which you would love to visit. And Randeep, Darjeeling is beautiful. I just hope we could have gone there together some day. But wherever I went, I carried both of you together with me in my mind. I missed you all surely. But your memories sufficed for me.”

Randeep asked him, “You could have just asked me. Why didn’t you tell anyone that you are leaving? Do you even know how disturbed Nitisha aunty was?”

Samrat kept quiet. Randeep stood up and went outside the restaurant and started having a joint of smoke.

“Samrat, the things were very difficult here. I came to Mumbai today itself. Mom told me everything. They tried every possible way to reach you. Newspapers, police, everything. Nitisha aunty suffered a lot. I was not here so I didn’t experience it a lot. But mom told me that Randeep was broken completely. He had even stopped eating food. Mom told me that he used to cry a lot.” Samrat couldn’t meet her eyes as she spoke.

“Sally, he loves you.”

“No. He loves you, Smruti. Yes, he loves me too. But is it of any use? The fact is that he loves you and has always loved you a lot. I have been with him every single moment since we met. His eyes cannot hide anything from me. With me, it was a different equation. But he had always loved you from whole of his heart.”

Smruti had tears now. Samrat held her hand tight.

“Smruti, I know, somewhere you loved me. Am I right?”

She looked up at him. Samrat wiped her tears.

“You never told me. I had always observed it. It is better to say some things on the right time. Otherwise, it is too late.” Samrat said.

“Why? You have come back now. Can’t I tell you now?” Tears were flowing through her eyes as she spoke.

“You can. But it is too late now.”

“Why?” Smruti asked. But Samrat saw Randeep coming inside the restaurant towards them.

“Randeep can keep you happy. Believe me. He loves you a lot.” Samrat paused as Randeep came near the table. Smruti wiped her eyes off so as to not letting Randeep know about anything.

“Do you want to smoke?” Randeep asked him.

“I will be right back. Excuse me.” Smruti stood up and left towards the washroom. Meanwhile Samrat and Randeep stood outside the restaurant. Samrat was not smoking but giving company to Randeep for another joint of smoke.

The air was cooler than before. There was an awkward silence between them. But Samrat asked him, “How is your clinic? Guess you have lot of patients lately, right?”

“Yes. I keep myself busy.”

“It is good to be busy. But then you should relax your mind also. Well, Smruti has come back now. You have opportunity to ask her out.” Samrat looked at him and winked with a smile.

Randeep smiled too. “She will never accept me, especially after knowing that I have such a mess of feelings in my mind. And then she loved you.” He said.

“You love her more than anyone else, Randeep. And then you both are such a cute couple. I am sure she will understand. Bygones are bygones. You have to ask her out man.” Samrat said.

“I don’t know. I will try but I am not sure. Do you think she will be happy with me?”

“Yes. I know both of you more than you both know yourselves. She will be very happy with you. You can give her all the happiness in the world, brother.”

Randeep looked at Samrat. “What about you, Sally?”

“What about me?”

“You had loved her, right?”

Samrat smiled. “Don’t think about me. I am all fine and happy with this life. I will be happier if you both come together. I want to dance at your wedding, Randeep.” That made Randeep smile again.

Randeep saw that Smruti was already seated on the table. “Let’s go in. She is waiting for us.” He turned his back to go in. Samrat suddenly said, “Randeep”.

Randeep turned back.

Samrat had a smile on his face. “What happened?” Randeep asked him.

Samrat came near and hugged Randeep. “I love you for what you are. Please forgive me for not loving you back the way you loved me.” Samrat whispered in Randeep’s ears. They met eyes and exchanged a glance. Samrat left to go inside. Randeep stood there. Tears sparkled in his eyes.

On the table, they finally cut the cake. Smruti smeared half of the cake on Samrat’s and Randeep’s faces. “Oh, wait. Taste this cake now.” Samrat smeared the cake back on her face too.

Their phones had switched off due to zero battery. Smruti wanted to click a snap of them together. She wanted to capture those moments. “I just want to pause this moment here. Is there anything you can do for it, Sally?” Samrat smiled and the three of them held each other.

The night ceased to end for them. Life is all about the moments which we live in. They were celebrating those moments. They were celebrating life.

They left for home together. Samrat’s return had brought a cheer in their lives. You can’t start the next chapter of your life if you keep re-reading your last one. Tonight, Samrat urged Smruti and Randeep to open a new page and a new chapter together. He wanted to see them, Smruti and Randeep, together. Every passing moment is a chance to turn it all around. Smruti’s return to India, she meeting Randeep, Randeep revealing his feelings to her and their meeting Samrat...the moments may be entirely coincidental. But they did turn around the situations. They made an impact on their lives.

The night was less darker than before to give way to a pleasant morning of the next day. But the night was special...very very special. 

The darkness was not yet over in their lives.